Box stitching machine



Oct. 27, 1964 J. H. MOTT BOX sn'rcnmc MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR'. JOHN H. MOTT ATTYS.

Filed Jan. 7, 1963 Oct. 27, 1964 J. H. MOT-T BOX srucamc momma 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVEN'l'ORZ JOHN H. MOTT ATTYS.

Oct. 27, 1964 Filed Jan. 7, 1963 FIG.6.

J. H. MOTT 3,153,790

BOX sn'rcamc MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGS.

53 Q I. I, e 'x 79 90 r e lNV-ENTOR 7 JOHN H. MOTT ATTYS.

Oct. 27, 1964 J. H. MOTT 3,153,790

BOX STITCHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 7, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. IO. 8 a5 FIGM.

y \NVENTOR':

JOHN H. MOTT BY ATTYS- United States Patent 3,153,790 BOX STTICHING MACHINE John H. Mott, Box 245, Kimberton, Pa. Filed Jan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,808 10 Claims. (Cl. 1-106) This invention relates to a box stitching machine for applying Wire staples to a board box along a longitudinal joint, and has for an object the provision of improvements in this art.

The invention relates particularly to box stitching apparatus for making the closing longitudinal joint between a side flap and a side edge of a box blank to complete the body enclosure, this joint often being referred to as the manufacturers joint because it is normally made by the manufacturer before the boxes are shipped; and is particularly concerned with squaring up the ends of the blank for the joint and for securing proper placement of the first and last stitches of the joint.

The invention could be applied to self-feeding stitchers but is especially useful for hand-fed stitchers where the operator pushes the blank through the machine. With such hand-fed machines it is difiicult to line up the edges to be stitched so that the box will be square and this is especially diihcult when large box blanks are to be fed. Often it will require more than one operator or attendant to handle large blanks properly so that they are squared up, and so that the first and last stitches are properly located. The present invention makes it easy for one attendant to secure proper action.

The invention, in connection with a table stitching machine of known type, having a stitching head, an open head blank joint edge guide, and a side guide bar for generally guiding the blank, provides a first target or stop which is engaged by the end flaps of the blank to square up the joint ends just before the firt stitch is made, the target also serving to locate the first stitch in proper position.

The invention also provides means for lifting the first target and starting the stitching action, the operator feeding the blank along to secure proper stitch spacing. This hand feed for stitch spacing can be done quite accurately with some experience.

The invention also provides a second target or stop to accurately locate the last stitch of the row for the joint.

The invention further provides means for lifting the second target and stopping the stitching action after the last stitch of a row has been made.

The invention will best be understood from consideration of the following description of an exemplary embodiment, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of parts shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged plan view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an end View of parts shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial side elevation of parts shown in FIG. 3, showing the operation of parts as a blank strikes the first target plate;

FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 7 with the blank moving past the first target plate;

FIG. 9 is a view like FIG. 7 with the blank striking the second target plate;

FIG. 10 is a view like FIG. 7 showing the blank moving past the second target plate;

FIG. 11 is a Wiring diagram; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective plan view of a stitched box blank.

As shown in the drawings, the maclune comprises a supporting frame pedestal 10 carrying a lower arm 11 which has mounted thereon a work supporting table 12. The pedestal also carries an upper arm 13 which has a staple forming and applying stitching head 14 and an edge guiding open head 15 mounted thereon.

The stitching head is driven by a shaft extending through the upper arm by a drive clutch mechanism which is generally referred to by the numeral 2%. The clutch mechanism is operated by a motor M through a suitable belt and pulley drive generally indicated by the numeral 21. An adjustable side edge guide or fence 22 is provided on the table for guiding one edge of the blank.

Wire 23 is fed from a reel by suitable guide means. The open head 15 is supported by a side frame 24 which provides vertical adjustment relative to the stitching head 14 to accommodate box material of different thickness.

The mechanism so far described is that usually provided for the table type hand-fed stitching machines which are in common and very extensive use.

According to the present invention there is provided on the open head, in a position very close to and ahead of the staple applying portion 25 of the stitching head, a switch operating fiap 3% for a switch control assembly such as that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,908,011 and in my copending application Serial No. 179,622, filed March 14, 1962, now Patent No. 3,120,664. This switch-operating flap 3i) actuates a flap switch S1 which is in series with a foot-operated switch 82 under the control of the operator and when both of these switches are closed a drive clutch relay coil R1 is energized. Energization of relay coil R1 closes its normally open switch Rl-l to energize a clutch solenoid coil C1 to operate the drive clutch mechanism Zii and start the operation of the stitching head 14.

At times it may be desirable to place the machine under the sole control of the flap switch S1, in which case a switch (not shown) in parallel with the foot switch S2 may be provided. At times it may be desirable to apply stitches without the use of the flap switch S1 and for this purpose a switch (not shown) in parallel with switch S1 may be provided.

According to the present invention there is provided target or stop mechanism which is generally designated by the numeral 35. This target mechanism is mounted on a target frame 36 which is rigidly secured by any suitable means to the upper main frame arm 13 near its outer end.

The frame 36 includes a vertical post 37, an inclined beam 38, and spaced inverted U-shaped brackets 39 which, at their lower ends, carry transversely spaced target supporting rails 49.

The rails 49 have adjustably mounted thereon a first target mechanism 45 and a second target mechanism 46. Each target mechanism includes a frame 47 having sleeves 43 slidable along the rails 40 and screws 49 in the sleeves for clamping the target frames to the rails at any desired adjusted positions therealong.

Each target mechanism includes a blank stop plate turnably mounted on bearings on a front cross shaft bar of the target frame and toggle linkage for operating the target stop plate.

The target plate 5i) of the first target mechanism is mounted on the front cross bar shaft 51 of the frame. F or operating the target plate of the first target mechanism there is provided a double-arm lever 52 pivoted on the rear cross car shaft 53 of the target frame, the front arms 52a of the lever being connected to the lower part of the plate by toggle links 54 and the rear arm 5% of the lever being adapted to be operated by suitable means and hav- $3 ing a roller 55 thereon which is adapted to be engaged by the operating means.

The target plate 56 of the second target mechanism is mounted on the front cross bar 57 of the frame. For operating the target plate of the'second target mechanism there is provided a double arm lever 58 pivoted on the rear crossbar shaft 519 of'the target frame, the main arms 58a of the lever being connected to the lower part of the plate by toggle links 61 and the upper arm 58b of the lever being adapted to be operated by suitable means and having a roller 61 thereon which is adapted to be engaged by the operating means.

The target mechanisms are so formed, arranged and operated that when the first target plate 59 is down the second target plate 56 is raised and when the first target plate is raised the second target plate is down. That is, the target plates work alternately or in opposite phase. Means are provided for normally urging the first target plate downward and the second target plate upward.

The first target plate 513 is urged to a normal down position by gravity and the second target plate 56 is urged to a normal raised position as by a curved leaf spring 62 acting on its operating lever.

The means provided for operating the target plates 51 and 56 through their rollers 55 and 61 comprises a longitudinal vertically movable cam bar 65 which is sufiiciently long to stand above the rollers in any adjusted positions of the target mechanisms along the rails 40.

As shown, the cam bar 65 is mounted on swinging arms 66 Whose bent ends 66:; are mounted in bearings 67 carried by the target frame. Adjustable spring means 68 normally urge the bar toward an upper and normally ofi position. When the bar moves down it raises the normally down first target plate 51 and lowers the normally raised second target plate 56. When the bar moves up the positions of the target plates are reversed.

The target plates 513 and 56 are set at the beginning of operations on blanks of a particular size to be stapled so as to be spaced apart by the distance between the first and last staples of a row of staples 79 along the joint between the side fiap 71 and the side of a workpiece blank W. When the joint flap 71 is in the proper position for the stitching head 25 to apply the first staple of a row the front end of the end flaps 72 and 73 of the blank are engaged with the first target plate 50 so that the ends are evened or squared up with each other.

The switch flap 39 is located a short distance in advance or upstream of the stitching position, having regard to the direction of movement of the blank through the machine, so that the stitching head operating clutch is engaged to apply a stitch shortly after the front end of the joint flap 7%. passes the switch flap 30. Shortly after the switch is actuated the front end of the end flaps 72, 73 of the blank engage the first target plate 5 and are positioned and squared up by the continued push on the blank by the operator. With proper speed of blank movement the stitches are applied at proper locations.

Means are provided for raising the first target plate 59 and lowering the second target plate 56 by lowering the cam bar 65 as soon as the first stitch has been made, the action actually being initiated as the clutch turns to make the first stitch. The means herein illustrated comprises a cam segment 76 which is secured on the driven plate 77 of the clutch 26, the cam segment 76 at the first turn of the clutch plate 77 at the start of stitching engaging a cam follower roller 73 of an arm 79 secured to a transverse target operating shaft 84? mounted in bearings 81 secured on the main frame.

At its outer end the shaft St? has secured thereon an arm 32 which actuatcs a rod 83- which operates the front arm 66 of the target cam bar 65. Sockets 84 and 85 on the arm 82 and the arm 66 respectively loosely engage and retain the ends of the rod 83. The spring 68 urges the target cam bar 65 and connected parts, including the shaft 80 and its cam arm 82, in one direction. and the movement in this direction is stopped by engagement of the cam follower roller 78 with the outer periphery of the plate 77 which carries the cam segment 76.

The cam bar 65 is held down during the stitching cycle and toprevent repeated engagement of the cam segment 76 with the cam follower roller 78 there is provided suitable hold-out mechanism for the cam follower roller 78 and its arm 79. The means here shown includes a solenoid coil C2 which has its core connected by a link 91 to an arm 92 secured to the shaft 89, here being formed integrally with the arm 79.

A solenoid energizing switch S3 is arranged to be actuated to close by an adjustable element, such as a headed screw 93 on the arm 92, when the shaft 89 is first operated. When energized, the solenoid coil C2 is locked in by being located in the line which is controlled by the switch R11 of the relay R1. This means that as long as the switch fiap 30 of switch S1 rides on the joint flap 71 the stitching solenoid C1 and the target cam bar solenoid C2 will be kept energized; and that as soon as the switch flap 3%) drops off the joint fiap 71 the switch S1 will be opened and both the stitching head solenoid C1 and the target operating solenoid C2 will be deenergized.

Just after the flap 30 of switch S1 drops off the box joint flap 71, and before the mechanical parts have had time to complete their movements, the end of the blank end flaps 72, 73 will engage the second target plate 56, as shown in FIG. 9, to hold the blank momentarily in proper longitudinal and squared position for the placement of the last stitch of a row. Then the stitching action will stop due to the rear end of the joint flap 71 passing the switch flap 30, means being provided to stop the clutch in a predetermined position; and the targetoperating cam bar 65, being released from the hold-down action of the solenoid C2 and the clutch cam segment 76, will rise to allow the second target plate 56 to be raised by its spring 62 and to allow the first target plate 51) to drop by gravity and ride lightly upon the top of the blank. This position is shownin FIG. 10.

As soon as the finished blank is removed from the table the first target plate 50 drops down in position to stop the front end of the next blank.

The operation of the apparatus will be evident from the foregoing description. The operator feeds the blank joint flap and side edge into the guideways of the open head 15 with one side of the blank moving along against the fence 22. At the same time he closes the foot switch S2 and continues to push forward on the blank.

First, the blank joint flap 71 will strike the flap 30 of switch S1 and initiate the action to start stitching, as described. There will be a brief delay in actual stitch application due to the time required for solenoid and clutch operation, during which time the blank is being pushed forward. The continued push on the blank causes its front end flaps 7 2, 73 to strike the front target plate 50 and stop momentarily and square up just as the first stitch is made.

Then the first target plate will be raised and the second target plate lowered, as described.

The operator continues to push forward on the blank at a controlled uniform rate while the stitching head continues to operate to evenly space the staples for the row until the blank front end flags 72, 73 strike the second target plate 56 for the last stitch. This last stitch will therefore be accurately located, Obviously, the second target plate 56 must be set in such a position that the joint flap 71 will pass the switch flap 30 in proper timing with the engagement of the end flaps 72, 7:3 with the target plate 56.

The stitching action will stop, with a slight mechanical operating delay, due to the passage of the trailing end of the joint flap 71 past the flap Sfl of switch S1 to open it, as described. This also causes the target cam bar 65 to be raised to raise the second target plate and drop the first target plate, as described.

Continued push on the blank by the operator forces it off the table.

It is thus seen that the invention provides very simple and convenient accessory apparatus for a table stitching 1216111118 whereby more uniform work can be done with fewer operators. The accessory apparatus is relatively inexpensive and easily installed and very dependable in service.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of illustration it is to be understood that there may be various embodiments and modifications within the general scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Box blank stitching apparatus, comprising in combination, a main frame, a workpiece blank supporting table on said main frame, a stitching head and an open head carried by said main frame above said table, a first target plate supported on said main frame in a position to be engaged by the front end of the blank when the body of the blank is located in a position for the stitching head to make the first stitch of a row of stitches along the belt joint of the blank, a second target plate supported on the main frame at a distance beyond the first target plate and in a position to be engaged by the end of the blank when the stitching head is in a position to make the last stitch of a row of stitches along the belt joint of the blank, and means to raise and lower said target plates in opposite phase at the two ends of a row of stitches.

2. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by the fact that said first target plate is mounted to occupy a normal lower position in the path of the blank and that said second target plate is mounted to occupy a normal upper position clear of the path of the blank, and common means for acting on said target plates for moving the first target plate to an upper position and at the same time moving the second target plate to a lower position.

3. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by the fact that said target plates are slidably mounted on a supporting target frame for independent movement to adjusted positions thereon.

4. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further includes in combination, means actuated when the first stitch is made for raising the first target plate and lowering the second target plate, and means actuated when the last stitch is made for raising the second target plate and for conditioning the first target plate to drop as soon as a blank has passed it.

5. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further includes in combination, a control member located at a short distance ahead of the stitching head which is adapted to be engaged by the forward end of a blank joint flap to be stitched for starting the drive means for the stitching head into operation as the forward end of the box blank by continued forward movement engages the first target plate to square up the blank and locate the joint flap in proper position to receive the first staple of a row, target shifting means actuated by the drive means for the stitching head for raising the first target plate and lowering the second target plate when the first stitch of a row is made, means for holding the target plates in the specified shifted position under the control of the drive means for the stitching head while a row of stitches is being made, the lowered second target plate stopping the blank in proper position for the last stitch of a row to be made, said control member when moving off the rearward end of the joint flap causing reversal of the movement of said target shifting means to raise the second target plate and release the first target plate to drop.

6. Box blank stitching apparatus, comprising in combination, a main frame, a stitching head on said main frame, box blank guide means for directing a joint flap and overlapped side edge to said stitching head for making a row of stitches along said joint flap and edge, a target frame on said main frame located downstream from said stitching head, and a pair of target plate mechanisms mounted on said target frame at a distance apart thereon corresponding to the length of a row of stitches to be made on said joint flap, the first target plate being located in a position to be engaged by the front end of the blank to halt the blank in position for the first stitch of a row to be made, and the second target plate being located in a position to be engaged by the front end of the box blank to halt the blank in position for the last stitch of a row to be made.

7. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 6, which further includes means for raising the first target plate out of the path of the blank when the first stitch is made and means for raising the second target plate out of the path of the blank when the last stitch has been made.

8. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 7, in which said means for raising the first target plate includes a longitudinal cam bar, and in which said first target plate is provided with an operating element located in a position to be operated by said cam bar at various locations of the operating element along its length.

9. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 7, in which said means for raising said first target plate includes a drive operated element and a solenoid and mechanism operated thereby for holding it in raised position during stitching, and means responsive to the movement of drive parts in making the first stitch for operating said solenoid for holding the first target plate in raised position.

10. Box blank stitching apparatus as set forth in claim 8, in which the means for raising said second target plate comprises a spring, and in which means are provided for actuation by said cam bar to lower said second target plate when the cam bar raises the first target plate.

No references cited. 

1. BOX BLANK STITCHING APPARATUS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A MAIN FRAME, A WORKPIECE BLANK SUPPORTING TABLE ON SAID MAIN FRAME, A STITCHING HEAD AND AN OPEN HEAD CARRIED BY SAID MAIN FRAME ABOVE SAID TABLE, A FIRST TARGET PLATE SUPPORTED ON SAID MAIN FRAME IN A POSITION TO BE ENGAGED BY THE FRONT END OF THE BLANK WHEN THE BODY OF THE BLANK IS LOCATED IN A POSITION FOR THE STITCHING HEAD TO MAKE THE FIRST STITCH OF A ROW OF STITCHES ALONG THE BELT JOINT OF THE BLANK, A SECOND TARGET PLATE SUPPORTED ON THE MAIN FRAME AT A DISTANCE BEYOND THE FIRST TARGET PLATE AND IN A POSITION TO BE ENGAGED BY THE END OF THE BLANK WHEN THE STITCHING HEAD IS IN A POSITION TO MAKE THE LAST STITCH OF A ROW OF STITCHES ALONG THE BELT JOINT OF THE BLANK AND MEANS TO RAISE AND LOWER SAID TARGET PLATES IN OPPOSITE PHASE AT THE TWO ENDS OF A ROW OF STITCHES. 